My Top Choices For Selfhosted Applications

In my Previoues Article, I detailed on how I connected my NAS to my server to utilize it as network storage. Continuing with my home lab journey, I want to share my top picks for self-hosted applications. These apps have proven invaluable in enhancing the functionality, performance, and efficiency of my setup. I'll provide a brief overview of each application and discuss how they can be effectively integrated into your home lab environment, particularly with the use of Docker volumes and network shares.

Ad Blocking and Secure DNS with AdGuard Home

Adguard home logo

The first and most essential part of my home lab is a local DNS server.

The benefits of having a local DNS server include caching DNS requests, utilizing DNS over HTTPS for increased security, and, most importantly, ad blocking. With an ad block server, you can specify blocklists containing URLs that will be blocked when requested from your server. This adguard functionality applies to all devices in your home, resulting in a better user experience and higher privacy by blocking tracker URLs.

For my home lab, I chose Adguard Home over Pi-hole. This choice is a personal preference, but both are excellent options for managing local DNS and ad blocking. This image of my local DNS server displays nearly 2.5 million DNS requests, with 15% (approximately 300,000) of them blocked as ads and privacy trackers.

Adguard DNS Dashboard

Flexible Media Hosting with Jellyfin

Jellyfin Logo

Hosting your media with Jellyfin gives you great flexibility over the content you watch. Jellyfin is free and open-source, supporting a wide range of platforms like Windows, macOS, Linux, and Docker. It offers live TV and DVR capabilities, user profiles, parental controls, and metadata management. Jellyfin ensures smooth playback with on-the-fly transcoding and can be extended with various plugins, making it a powerful and versatile solution for your media needs.

Secure Photo Hosting with Immich

Immich logo with the subtitle of self-hosted photo and video mangement solution

This app has been life-changing for me. Immich is a fantastic alternative to Google Photos, allowing you to self-host all your pictures on your own server without Google accessing your private memories. It offers impressive features like face recognition, AI search, context search, and much more, all processed locally on your machine. Immich is one of the most interesting and valuable self-hosted apps available, providing both privacy and advanced functionality.

Organizing Audiobooks with Audiobook Shelf

Audiobookshelf logo with a subtitle of self-hosted audiobook and podcast server

Audiobook Shelf is perfect for managing and enjoying your audiobook collection. Audiobook Shelf allows you to organize and stream your audiobooks effortlessly. It supports various formats, offers bookmarking, and provides detailed metadata management to keep your library in order. With features like playback speed control and cross-device synchronization, Audiobook Shelf ensures a seamless listening experience. It's a fantastic addition to any home lab setup, giving you complete control over your audiobook library.

Monitoring with Uptime Kuma

Uptime Kuma Logo

Uptime Kuma is an excellent tool for monitoring the status of your services and servers. It provides real-time notifications and detailed statistics, ensuring you're always aware of any downtime or performance issues. With its intuitive interface and customizable alerts, Uptime Kuma helps you maintain the reliability and availability of your home lab.

Smart Home Automation with Home Assistant

Home Assistant logo

Home Assistant is a powerful platform for smart home automation. It integrates with a vast array of devices and services, allowing you to control and automate everything from lights and thermostats to security systems and appliances. Home Assistant's flexibility and extensive community support make it an indispensable tool for creating a connected and efficient home environment.

Share Your Thoughts and Suggestions

These are my top picks for self-hosted applications in my home lab. I would love to hear your opinions and any other recommendations you might have. Are there any other self-hosted apps that you find essential? Share your experiences and suggestions, and let's discuss how we can make our home labs even more powerful and efficient.